Disclaimer: I don't own anything
Life should come with a manual. That way Temari could just crack open a book and find the chapter written, "What to do when your idiot brother doesn't come home from wherever the hell he is". It truly infuriated Temari how irresponsible her younger brother was. He knew she had work. He knew she had an opening shift.
And yet here she was, ready for work and her niece Izumi staring up at her in her onesie pajamas. Temari pursed her lips as her heart rate slowly increased in speed. She didn't have any options. She couldn't switch shifts. She couldn't call anyone to watch her niece. She always joked she would bring her niece to work…
"Izumi, let's put on your jacket."
"Why?" The four year old asked.
"I'm taking you to work."
Izumi's eyes grew wide. "Really?"
Temari nodded.
Izumi grinned and began to jump up and down. "Yay!"
Temari placed on Izumi's puffiest jacket (it was winter time) and her snuggest boots. Izumi put on her backpack packed with essentials. AKA her tablet and favorite stuffed blue hippo. Temari placed her niece into her car and drove to work.
Izumi, for the most part, was a well mannered child. She grew shy in new places or while meeting new people. Temari had faith that Izumi could remain in the breakroom, not make a single sound, until she could get her brother on the phone and rip off his ear. Izumi still wasn't 100% certain her aunt was taking her to her work.
She always asked her aunty to take her to work, but her aunty never did.
"Where are we going?"
"My job."
Izumi giggled "no we're not."
"Yes we are."
Izumi hummed, then laughed some more. "No way."
Temari chuckled. "We are but only until I talk to your dad."
Izumi was absolutely giddy. "I see your friends?"
"Sure kid."
Temari suddenly realized she didn't feed herself or Izumi. Temari cursed herself. She bit her lip. There was one thing she could do…
Once in the safety of her job parking lot, Temari unbuckled Izumi from her booster seat, and both made their way to the back entrance of a pharmacy. Temari turned on the lights and cranked the heater on. She walked Izumi to the break room. She made sure her niece was seated on their lone couch and took out her tablet.
She turned on the device, "now I need you to stay here. Do not come out unless I get you. Don't turn the volume up. Ok?"
Izumi nodded. She smiled nervously.
Temari kissed the top of her head. "I'll be right back."
Temari quickly ran through her morning duties, while making some very important phone calls.
Namely leaving her sorry for an excuse brother many many heated voicemails. Then proceeded to call in a favor for breakfast.
Her next coworker just arrived. He was practically sleepwalking, yawning, as he stepped into the break room. He spotted the child sitting on the couch, kicking her feet, her eyes never leaving her tablet.
Shikamaru quietly stepped out of the break room to find his coworker.
"There's a kid in the break room."
"I'm aware."
Shikamaru blinked. "There's a small kid in our break room."
Temari nodded her head slowly. "I know."
"This is a pharmacy."
"I'm very aware of where we are."
"We have drugs there. Bad ones."
"Which we keep locked up. Anything else captain obvious?" Temari was already in a terrible mood given her circumstances. Her coworker was not helping the situation.
"Why?"
"I rather not talk about it."
"What?"
Temari proceeded to ignore his presence. Shikamaru wisely stopped talking. Until their next coworker entered the building, loudly.
"Temari! There better be a good reason why I'm here so god damn early-"
Loud squeal.
"Muffin!"
A child's loud squeal of laughter.
Tenten came sprinting out of the break room. "Why is Muffin here?"
"Dumb ass didn't come home last night."
"Oh shit! Now fucking way?"
"And he's still not answering his phone."
"Shut up!"
Shikamaru could only stand there and watch as his 2 coworkers talked like he didn't exist. Luckily they weren't open to the public yet.
"We can't have a kid here."
Temari finally looked back to Shikamaru. "I know but I don't have much choice here."
"Seriously-"
"Does the boss know?" Tenten interrupted.
"I sent her a message. She hasn't responded."
Shikamaru and Tenten looked concerned.
"She's gonna eat you alive."
Temari sighed heavily. "I'm hoping she isn't too hungover."
Tenten patted her shoulder in sympathy and Shikamaru shook his head, "troublesome."
As the three coworkers continued to banter back and forth about the situation, their boss, the head pharmacist entered the building.
She walked into the break room to see Izumi watching her tablet and eating a hash brown. Izumi could feel someone starting so she looked up. One hand held her tablet upright on her lap while the other held her breakfast.
Adult and child made eye contact.
Izumi waved her hand that held her hash brown as a greeting.
Pharmacist Tsunade waved back.
She turned on her heel and walked out. Izumi went back to minding her own business.
"Why is there a child in my pharmacy?"
Shikamaru, Tenten, and Temari shut their mouths. Temari mentally took a deep breath, gulped, and took a step forward.
"I can explain."
Shikamaru and Tenten were sweating on her behalf.
Tsunade gestured to Temari to follow her into her office. Once both women were out of sight, Shikamaru went to officially open the pharmacy doors and Tenten went back to the break room.
Tsunade and Temari didn't have a short discussion. Three more coworkers clocked in, explained the situation about the kid, and began their work duties.
Izumi remained in the break room. She only spoke to Tenten and made no noise. Eventually Temari left Tsunade's office and went to check on Izumi.
"Do you need to use the bathroom?"
Izumi nodded.
"Did you eat all your breakfast?"
Izumi nodded again.
Temari smiled and held out her hand. She took her niece to the bathroom. She then bought some snacks from their vending machine and laid them out on the table.
"Ok sweetie I'm going back to work but I'll keep checking on you. Are you ok?"
Izumi took a minute to think. "Can I draw?"
"I'll bring you back something."
Temari returned to the front and took paper out of their printer. She snatched a pen Shikamaru was currently using from his hand.
"Woman, we have more pens."
Temari proceeded to take some highlighters as well.
"I know. But you have nice pens."
"Troublesome."
Temari grinned as she walked back to the break room. She handed Izumi the paper and writing utensils. "Anything else?"
Izumi shook her head.
"Alright I'll see you in a bit."
Temari returned to the front desk area to help out her coworkers. Everyone worked like normal. Answering calls, filling prescriptions, faxing documents, arguing with clients about refills all while Izumi remained in the break room.
At one point Tsunade went to grab Izumi from the break room and was showing her around the pharmacy. No one said a word as their boss carried a child and pointed things out.
"This is where we keep the bad stuff."
Izumi nodded her head. She pointed at another wall. "What's that?"
"More bad stuff."
"Why?"
"So one can steal it."
"That's mean."
"People are stupid."
Izumi giggled. Then she pointed to where Temari was talking to a client. "That's my aunty."
"Really? I didn't realize."
Izumi nodded eagerly. "She's my daddy's sister."
"Really? Who knew."
Izumi laughed, then pointed at a different wall and asked what was there.
"Oh that's where we keep the good stuff."
Tsunade walked away with Izumi.
When it was time for lunch, Tsunade ordered Chinese food for everyone. Temari and Izumi ate lunch first.
"Are you having fun?"
"A lot!"
"Are you learning a lot?"
"Miss Tsu knows a lot!"
Temari smiled and ruffled her hair. "Are you getting sleepy?"
Izumi pouted as she fixed her hair. She shook her head. "No. Miss Tsu said I can play in her room when I'm done eating."
"She did?"
"Yea!"
Temari was a little wary about what Tsunade would be teaching her niece. Yet she couldn't complain. She was luckily not fired or kicked off her shift for having Izumi in the building.
Once both were done eating, Temari walked Izumi to Tsunade's office. She knocked on the door and Tsunade happily let the child in.
"Alright kid today you're gonna learn how to throw dice."
Temari tried to protest but Tsunade shooed her away. "Shikamaru has to take lunch. Go relieve him."
Izumi was happily playing with a pair of dice.
Oh good lord, her boss was teaching her niece how to gamble.
Temari returned to the front area and informed Shikamaru he was next for lunch. He happily stood up from his chair and walked off. Tenten came over and bumped hips with her friend.
"Nice to see the boss didn't eat you alive."
"I'm still waiting."
Tenten snickered. "Another client is waiting in line. Your turn."
Temari helped the man get his drugs once she called him forward. He had questions about one of his medications so Temari went to grab Tsunade. She knocked on the door before opening it.
"Got a guy who has questions about a medication."
"I'm a bit busy."
Tsunade held some cards while Izumi threw down a pair of dice.
"I win!"
Tsunade narrowed her eyes. "I know you're cheating."
Izumi laughed and bent down to pick up the dice.
Temari just stared at the scene before her. Surely she was dreaming. Or dead.
Tsunade picked up the kid, who still held the dice, and followed Temari out.
"What's your question bub?"
The middle aged man didn't say anything. His eyes shifted from the tall busty woman to the child she was carrying. Izumi was examining the dice in her hands paying no attention to what was happening around her.
The man pursed his lips. "This is hardly professional."
"Well it's a good thing I don't care about other people's opinion. Now, what is your question?"
The man scowled as he asked his question. "Should I expect any side effects from taking this medication along with my liver supplement?"
"Yes, diarrhea. Anything else?"
The man simply turned around and walked off. Izumi turned to look at Tsunade, "he's not very nice."
"People are stupid. Now, I believe you owe me another round of dice."
Tsunade and Izumi returned to her office. Temari, once again, could only stare. Tenten was laughing in the background. Her other coworkers were sniggering at what just happened. What a strange day.
Shikamaru just finished his lunch and went to relieve Tenten. Temari, at this point, was back in Tsunade's office. Partly to make sure her boss didn't lose all her pocket change and to make sure Izumi didn't learn too much gambling. Tenten went off to lunch and Shikamaru called over the next client.
"Is Temari here?"
Shikamaru had never seen this person before. He tried not to involve himself with his coworkers' lives but today…
"Oh. You must be the father."
"Yea, so what?"
"They're not here."
"What?"
Shikamaru pretended to be busy with paperwork. "They're not here. The boss tore into her. It was ugly. I'm not sure she still has a job."
"W-Wait seriously?" His face paled.
Shikamaru nodded his head but still refused eye contact. "Yea man. That was a shitty thing you did. Poor kid was heartbroken."
"C-Come on. It's not that serious."
Shikamaru looked him straight in the eyes. "Temari brought a small kid to a pharmacy where only authorized personnel are allowed. We handle many dangerous drugs and information for our clients. Our boss wasn't going to have that liability stay in the building. I don't know where they went after they were kicked out but you better beg for forgiveness."
Kankuro sputtered before scurrying away.
"That was mean."
Shikamaru shrugged before looking over towards Temari. "I think it was justified."
Temari tried not to smile. "I've never seen his face look so surprised."
"He got off easy. If Tsunade were out here…"
Temari felt a shiver go down her spine. "That would have been ugly."
"Your boyfriend won't learn otherwise."
"My what?"
"Isn't that Izumi's dad?"
Temari did not hold back her snort of laughter. "Yeah but that dumb ass is my brother."
Shikamaru felt some relief hearing that. "Oh sorry I shouldn't have assumed."
"Nah it's no big deal. But thanks for that. Maybe it actually went through his fat skull."
Shikamaru turned away so she couldn't see the redness on his cheeks. "Troublesome. Don't make it a habit."
"Oh yes I plan on bringing Izumi around once a week now." Temari rolled her eyes.
"I don't know, Tsunade might not object. I'm pretty sure she's lost most of her $1 bills to your niece."
"Izumi is very proud."
They both laughed.
When it was time to head home, Izumi happily waved goodbye to all her new friends.
"Bye! I had fun!"
"See you this weekend Muffin!" Tenten gave the kid a tight hug.
"Double or nothing next time kid." Tsunade placed the pair of dice into Izumi's backpack.
Before Shikamaru could say anything, Izumi just smiled brightly at him, "bye cry baby!"
Tenten howled with laughter, Tsunade walked back to her office to hide her fit of laughter, and Temari blushed pink.
"You told her?"
Temari cleared her throat. Trying very hard to fight down her blush. "I tell her stories." Temari grabbed her hand and their stuff.
"We gotta go."
Izumi, once again, happily waved goodbye to her friends.
Tenten nudged Shikamaru with a shit eating grin on her face. "I think they like ya."
"Troublesome."
I had fun writing this. Silly stories with little to no plot lol. Thank you for reading! Let me know your thoughts!
